Carers MK

Being a carer is a tough and demanding job in any circumstance, but when you become a carer through a family member or friend becoming ill, it is very often as a need rather than a career choice. Further still, for children and young people whose parents become ill, being a young carer can be an extremely tough job, both mentally and physically.

Thanks to charities and organisations such as Carers MK, these all-important carers can themselves be supported and cared for. Carers MK supports families and carers of all ages and offers services including counselling, social events, advice and information, training, emotional support and more, all for free.

One of the key things which Carers MK provides are support groups. There are a large number of these existing across the city, and they allow carers to meet other people who are in similar positions to them. This can really provide a sense of community, and reassurance that they are not in their position alone. It also gives them a chance to have some time out, and spend time enjoying the hobbies and activities which they often just don't have the time or opportunity to do.

If you are a carer or know someone who would benefit from these services, click here for more information and to see the various support groups on offer.

The Newport Pagnell support group meets at the United Reformed Church on the High Street on the last Wednesday of the month from 1.30-3.30pm for a chance to have a coffee and chat.

The Olney support group meets at The Olney Centre on the first Thursday of the month from 2-4pm.

World Food Day 2014

Today is World Food Day, something which was started on the 16th october 1981, and has continued to be remembered each year since then. The aim of the day is, in summary, to raise awareness of the problems surrounding food and hunger, and to encourage those involved in its production across the world.

2014 is the year of family farming, and so this is the theme which has been given to World Food Day this year, with the aim of raising the profile of family farming and smallholder farmers around the world.

World Food Day aims to raise awareness towards their cause to eradicate world hunger, to achieve a world with 'zero hunger'. Despite the numerous emergency situations around the world, the World Food Programme (WFP) and partners are making a real difference for children, families and communities around the world.

Eradicating world hunger seems like a huge task, and it is, but it is so true that every little helps, and where better to start eradicating hunger than on your doorstep. Why not donate a little bit of non-perishable food to the Milton Keynes food bank which distributes food to hundreds of needy people across the city, or you could even volunteer to help at one of these food banks. So far this year, the food bank has distributed over 10247 food parcels across Milton Keynes and continues to do so every day. Things such as these save lives, and help start the steps at home towards a world without hunger.

2014: Year of family farming

2014 is the international year of family farming, but what does that mean for you if you don't happen to have your own family farm?! The focus on family farming for the year has been declared by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, to highlight the important role that family farms play in the world's food production, and to raise awareness so that this production can be optimised.

So what is the importance of family farming? Across the world, family farming helps preserve traditional food products, and helps safeguard the sustainable use of natural resources. Ultimately, it provides small-scale farmers with the opportunity to help boost their local economy. By focussing on family farming for the year, the aim is to help increase awareness and understanding of the challenges faced by smallholders, and to find effective ways of supporting family farmers.

Many small farms lack the resources needed to succeed and keep going through difficult times, whether that be through weather conditions, financial issues or lack of manpower. By raising awareness throughout this year, the hope is that governments and other bodies will be forced to direct more help to family farms across the world, of which there are over 500 million. Family farming is of course important in the UK, but even more so in poorer, underdeveloped countries where running and taking care of  land can mean the difference between feeding their families or going hungry. One of the aims of this year of family farming is to try and eradicate hunger and poverty, and ultimately to improve the livelihoods of farm owners across the world which in turn will improve global food security.

Why not be inspired by this year of family farming and get out and planting veg in your own garden or allotment? Or take a trip to a local farm with the kids this summer holidays? Have a look for some local farms in the Milton Keynes area to visit, click here.

What's the history of the Rotary club?

Rotary clubs have been around for years, and there are a number of them in the Milton Keynes area alone. The Newport Pagnell Rotary club, for example, has been running since 1963. But how, why and when did they begin? Well, the first ever Rotary club meeting took place over a hundred years ago in 1905, when Paul P. Harris decided he wanted to meet with some like-minded people, and met with three other men at an office in downtown Chicago. They decided to call the club 'Rotary' because of the number of different places they met at- (rotating locations). By 1910 there were 16 clubs, and in 1922 the name was changed to Rotary International to reflect the addition of clubs now in different countries. 

By July 1925, Rotary had grown to more than 2,000 clubs and an estimated 108,000 members on six continents. The reputation of the Rotary clubs attracted a number of prominent figures; including presidents and prime ministers, as well as other key figures, including author Thomas Mann and American astronaut Frank Borman. Today, there are over 34,000 clubs, and over 1.2 million members worldwide.